5 Things That Keep My Toddlers Busy While I Work From Home

Working from home with toddlers is not for the faint of heart. Most days, it feels like I’m balancing 14 spinning plates—client projects, snack requests, tantrums, and the occasional marker mural on the wall. But over the past few years, I’ve learned a few simple strategies that help keep my toddlers engaged (without a screen!) while I get things done.

These five activities have been lifesavers. They keep my littles entertained, learning, and happy while I work, clean, or sneak in a moment to myself with my favorite wellness drink in hand.

1. Sensory BinsThis one’s an old favorite for a reason. I keep a few under-bed storage containers filled with different base materials: rice, oats, kinetic sand, dry beans—you name it. I toss in farm animals, mini tractors, scoops, or tongs to match whatever theme we’re doing. The secret sauce? Put it on a picnic blanket or old shower curtain for easier cleanup. Bonus: they’ll play longer when they “rediscover” the bin each week.

2. Reusable Sticker Books & Water Wow PadsThese are gold in our house. They're quiet, portable, and don’t involve any cleanup. I stash a few in our diaper bag, car, and even in the kitchen drawer for when I need to buy 20 minutes of time. They also feel like real art activities but don’t require any setup, which is a win when you’re juggling emails and snack plates.

   Water Wow Pads

   Sticker Books

3. The Morning Menu BinderThis one changed our mornings completely. It’s a farm-themed printable binder filled with name tracing, letter matching, number identification, and shape sorting—all wrapped in a fun theme my kids actually enjoy. We do it right after breakfast while I sip on my greens drink and mentally map out my work blocks for the day. Want to try it? You can grab your copy from my TPT store.

   --> Grab It here

4. Toy Rotation Baskets Instead of leaving all the toys out all the time (which just results in chaos), I rotate a couple baskets every Sunday evening. When there’s less to play with, they actually engage more. It’s also easier to spot what they’re really loving developmentally—and helps cut down on the overstimulation (for them and me).

5. Independent Snack + Mama Sip Time Every afternoon, we do a little snack time reset. They get their divided tray of snacks and water bottles. I get 15 minutes to regroup—usually with my shaker bottle and a wellness product that gives me that pick-me-up I didn’t know I needed until 2 p.m. hit.

   
   

These activities don’t just buy time—they build independence, creativity, and calm. And on the hardest days, they remind me that it’s okay to create space for myself, too.

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